I am ashamed to confess that I am a Johnny-come-lately to this group. In fact, I only discovered them a few days ago through a Tweet by Edwyn Collins. And so seven years after its initial release, the song finally enjoys heavy rotation in my crib.

This English trio — formed in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in 2002 — consists of three brothers, two of which are twins. To date, the group has released five albums, most of which enjoyed critical acclaim. As if being completely ignorant of their existence wasn’t bad enough, I then went on to discover that one of my favorite guitarists, Johnny Marr of The Smiths, had become a member of the group between 2008 and 2011.

For those who too may have drifted out of the ‘in’ and into the ‘out’ with regards to the new music scene, you will be in for a pleasant surprise here. ‘Men’s Needs’ is The Cribs’ biggest hit to date. It is hands down excellent.

The video was directed by Diane Martel and shot in Hollywood. It is brilliant in its simplicity — much like the promotional music videos that came out of the UK in the late 70s and early 80s. It simply consists of the band performing in front of a yellow backdrop, but with a naked young woman playing the mischievous saboteur and doing a pret-ty good job of poaching their spotlight.

Britain’s Jarvis Cocker of Pulp is one of the greatest lyricists, songwriters, performers to somehow duck the American marketplace. ‘Different Class’ is in my personal Top Ten ‘greatest albums of all time’ list. Released in 1995, the album rose to #1 in the UK Album Charts, spawning four top 10 singles, including the immensely popular “Common People”.

‘Different Class’ is one of those timeless albums befitting any serious record collection. It is that good.

Here, Pulp perform the exceptional “I Spy” on the Jools Holland Show in 1995 — at the peak of their popularity.

Enjoy!

The song, “I Spy”, or its full-length album, ‘Different Class’ can be downloaded here: